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A blank installer.php page usually means the request never reached Duplicator’s normal installer interface. The common causes are blocked PHP execution, a fatal PHP or database error, a security rule or plugin conflict, unsupported PHP or WordPress requirements, or incorrect file ownership and permissions.
Start by recording exactly what appears: a completely empty response, a page containing only a date and time, or an HTTP 403, 404, 405, or 500 response. That distinction determines which checks to perform first. Preserve the timestamp and ask your host for the matching PHP and web-server log entry before changing files.
Identify which blank-screen problem you have
“Blank” describes several different failures. Treating every symptom as a WordPress problem can waste time, especially when the web server is refusing to execute PHP before Duplicator runs.
| What you see | Most useful first check | Likely area |
|---|---|---|
| Completely empty page with no status message | PHP and web-server error logs at the failure time | Fatal PHP error, database error, or PHP execution blocked before output |
| Page containing only a date and time | Temporarily test Wordfence and inspect auto_prepend_file |
Wordfence on the destination or a stale path in parent or destination .htaccess or .user.ini |
| HTTP 403 or “AJAX 403 Forbidden” | Review access rules, ModSecurity/WAF logs, and permissions | Security layer or server rule rejecting the request |
| HTTP 404 | Verify the exact installer URL and file location | Wrong path, rewritten request, or a file that is not in the directory being requested |
| HTTP 405 | Ask the host whether the request method is allowed for that directory | Host or web-server method restriction |
| HTTP 500 | Read the PHP/web-server error entry rather than refreshing repeatedly | Fatal PHP error, incompatible runtime, permission problem, or server rule |
Do not delete the archive or installer while diagnosing. The archive and its checksum or name may be needed to repeat the test, and the server log can lose context after log rotation.
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Record evidence before changing anything
- Copy the complete URL. Include the protocol, host, path, and query string exactly as shown in the browser.
- Write down the response. Note whether the body is entirely empty, shows a date and time, displays an error page, or returns a numeric HTTP status.
- Record the time and timezone. Give the host the precise time so it can locate the corresponding PHP-FPM, Apache, Nginx, or ModSecurity entry.
- Check the directory. Confirm that
installer.phpand the Duplicator archive are in the directory you intended to use. A correct file in the wrong directory still produces a 404 or a different site’s response. - Ask for the server-side entry. Request the PHP and web-server error-log lines for that timestamp. A browser’s empty page cannot reveal a fatal error that was logged before any HTML was emitted.
Keep a copy of the original configuration before editing it. For an .htaccess or .user.ini change, save the original file under a temporary name outside the web root or download it through your hosting control panel.
Fix the date-and-time-only page
Duplicator documents a specific pattern in which the installer response contains only a date and time. Two causes deserve priority: Wordfence on the destination site (or a WordPress site in a parent directory), and an incorrect auto_prepend_file path left in a parent or destination configuration file.
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Test Wordfence without weakening the whole server
- Use the hosting file manager, SFTP, or another method that does not depend on the broken installer.
- Temporarily disable Wordfence on the destination site. Also check whether a WordPress installation in a parent directory loads Wordfence for requests below it.
- Run the installer once while the plugin is disabled. If the normal installer appears, the security plugin is the immediate cause.
- Complete only the controlled migration test you need, then restore the plugin and its settings. Do not leave a security plugin disabled on a public site.
If disabling Wordfence changes nothing, restore it and continue with the configuration-file check rather than repeatedly turning security software on and off.
Inspect auto_prepend_file in both directory levels
- Open the destination directory’s
.htaccessand.user.inifiles. - Inspect the corresponding files in parent directories. A parent rule can apply to the installer even when the destination folder looks correct.
- Look for an
auto_prepend_filedirective that points to an old account, old home directory, or path that does not exist on the new server. - Correct the path or comment the directive temporarily for the migration test. Preserve the original line so it can be restored accurately.
- Retry the installer. After the migration, restore the intended security configuration and verify that the referenced file exists at the final path.
A stale prepend path can fail before Duplicator has an opportunity to display its own error. That is why the browser may show a date and time instead of a meaningful PHP message.
When the page is completely empty
A totally empty response generally means that PHP stopped before producing output. WordPress’s Advanced Administration guidance notes that both PHP errors and database errors can appear as a white or blank screen. The log entry is more valuable than the visible page.
Read the host log first
Look for entries at the recorded time containing “fatal,” “uncaught,” “memory,” “mysqli,” “permission,” “include,” or “call to undefined.” Also check the web-server log for a denied request or an upstream PHP failure. Give the exact message to your host if you cannot access these logs; do not paraphrase it.
Enable temporary WordPress logging when the request passes through WordPress
If the blank screen occurs during an existing WordPress request rather than a standalone installer request, enable temporary debugging and file logging in the site’s configuration. A typical temporary configuration is:
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define('WP_DEBUG', true);
define('WP_DEBUG_LOG', true);
define('WP_DEBUG_DISPLAY', false);Use this only for diagnosis, protect the log from public access, and remove or disable the settings after the test. The log can expose paths, SQL details, or credentials in poorly behaved extensions.
Separate an installer failure from a normal WordPress failure
Open the installer URL directly, without navigating through the WordPress dashboard. If the standalone URL is blank while ordinary pages work, focus on PHP execution, server rules, and the installer directory. If both the installer and normal WordPress requests fail, investigate the site’s PHP runtime, database connection, plugins, theme, and memory together.
Resolve 403, 404, 405, and 500 responses
403 Forbidden
A 403 means a security or access layer rejected the request. Duplicator describes an “AJAX 403 Forbidden” response as likely caused by a security layer blocking the upload request. Check the site’s security-plugin events, ModSecurity or WAF logs, directory access rules, and file ownership.
Ask the host for a narrowly scoped exception for the installer request or migration directory. Do not turn off the firewall globally, leave a permanent allow rule for an unneeded path, or make the entire account publicly writable.
404 Not Found
Confirm the installer file name, capitalization, and directory. Then compare the URL’s path with the actual document root configured for the domain or temporary hostname. A parent-directory rewrite can send the request to another site, while a copied file in a staging directory may not be reachable from the public domain.
405 Method Not Allowed
A 405 commonly indicates that the host or web server refuses the HTTP method used by the installer or its AJAX request. Provide the host with the exact URL, method if shown in its log, timestamp, and response code. The host may need to permit the method for that directory or offer a different migration mode.
500 Internal Server Error
Read the PHP error entry before changing code. A 500 can result from a syntax error in .htaccess, an incompatible PHP extension, a fatal PHP error, a failed database connection, or ownership that prevents PHP from reading a file. Restore the last known-good configuration if a recent edit triggered the response, then test one change at a time.
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Check whether PHP is allowed to execute
The installer is a PHP program. If the server treats PHP as a downloadable file, denies it in that directory, or routes it to an incompatible handler, the interface cannot load.
Look for blocking rules
Inspect parent and destination .htaccess files for rules similar to:
<Files *.php>
Deny from all
</Files>The exact syntax may differ between Apache versions, but the effect is the same: PHP files in the directory are denied. For a controlled test, rename the suspected blocking .htaccess file temporarily rather than deleting it. Test immediately, then restore it or replace the rule with a safe, directory-specific exception.
Check ModSecurity and other WAF rules
Review ModSecurity or WAF audit events for the installer request. If a rule is triggered, ask the host to create a temporary, targeted exception for the migration operation. Include the rule ID from the log when available. Broadly disabling ModSecurity removes protection from unrelated requests and makes the diagnosis less reliable.
Use the host when the PHP handler is outside your control
On managed or shared hosting, you may not be able to change PHP-FPM pools, handler mappings, or server-level access rules. Send support the full URL, timestamp, status code, and the name of the PHP file. Ask them to confirm that PHP execution, the required extensions, and the request method are enabled for the destination directory.
Correct permissions and ownership
Duplicator documents directories with permission 755 and files with permission 644 as normal starting points. The account running PHP must also have the expected owner and group. A file can display the correct numeric mode and still fail if it belongs to a different account.
- Check the destination directory,
installer.php, and the archive’s owner and group in the hosting panel or SFTP client. - Use
755for directories and644for ordinary files as the initial baseline. - Verify that PHP can read the installer and archive and write to the directories Duplicator must use during extraction and database work.
- Retry the installer and inspect the log if it still fails.
Duplicator’s documentation mentions a temporary 777 test, but that mode makes files and directories broadly writable and creates a security risk. If you use it to prove that permissions are the cause, apply it only to the smallest controlled area, test immediately, and return to least-privilege settings. Do not leave 777 in place.
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Verify the runtime requirements
Check the runtime before rebuilding an archive or changing WordPress files. The current WordPress.org listing for Duplicator states PHP 7.4 or newer and WordPress 5.3 or newer. Duplicator’s system guidance also requires a 64-bit operating system and 64-bit PHP; 32-bit PHP cannot handle files larger than 2 GB.
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|---|---|---|
| PHP version | PHP 7.4 or newer | Older runtimes may fail before Duplicator can render its interface |
| WordPress version | WordPress 5.3 or newer when the package is used with WordPress | Older core versions are outside the current listing’s stated minimum |
| Architecture | 64-bit operating system and 64-bit PHP | 32-bit PHP cannot handle files larger than 2 GB |
| Database extension | mysqli enabled |
Duplicator needs a supported MySQL/MariaDB connection for database operations |
| Archive capability | ZipArchive or supported shell-zip capability |
The available extraction engine depends on what the host enables |
| Database-dump engine | A Duplicator engine compatible with the host’s PHP and database limits | The selected engine must be able to read and write the package’s database data |
Ask the host for the active PHP version, architecture, loaded extensions, memory and execution limits, and the database driver. The PHP version selected in a hosting panel may differ from the version used by the web server, so verify the runtime that serves the domain rather than relying on a command-line version alone.
Isolate WordPress plugins, themes, and rewrites
When the failure happens inside an existing WordPress request, use WordPress’s standard white-screen process. This is separate from a standalone installer request, but it can reveal why a migration directory inherits a conflict.
Temporarily isolate plugins
- Use SFTP or the hosting file manager to rename
wp-content/pluginsto a temporary name, such asplugins.hold. - Retry the affected request. If it works, restore the directory name and isolate plugins in smaller groups until the conflicting extension is identified.
- Re-enable every unaffected plugin and leave only the confirmed conflict disabled while you complete the migration or obtain an update.
Do not rename plugin directories while an update or background task is writing to them. Make the change during a controlled maintenance window.
Test the theme only when the request uses WordPress rendering
If the error remains after plugin isolation, switch temporarily to a default WordPress theme through the dashboard or database-safe method appropriate to your access level. A theme conflict is less likely for a direct installer.php request, so do not alter the theme merely because the installer is blank unless the logs show that WordPress loaded it.
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Restore the standard rewrite configuration for the site and test again. A malformed rule can produce a 500, route the installer to the wrong directory, or deny PHP. Save any custom redirects first so they can be reapplied after the migration.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Choose the installation mode that matches the restriction
Duplicator can use different migration paths. The right choice depends on whether PHP can execute in the import directory and whether you are replacing an existing WordPress installation.
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Use Import when the destination can run the installer normally
Keep the installer and archive in the directory selected by your migration workflow, confirm that PHP execution and write permissions work there, and launch the URL directly. This is appropriate when the host permits PHP and the request is not being blocked by a directory rule.
Use Classic or Overwrite when PHP cannot execute in the import directory
Duplicator documents a fallback for hosts that will not enable PHP execution in the import directory: upload installer.php and the archive to the WordPress root, then use Classic/Overwrite installation. This changes the location and mode of the operation; it does not fix a server-wide PHP failure. Confirm that PHP executes in the WordPress root before choosing it.
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- Upload the installer and archive to the WordPress root with the documented baseline permissions and correct owner.
- Open the root-level installer URL and select the Classic/Overwrite path.
- Follow the on-screen database and replacement prompts, checking each database name, user, host, and table-prefix value before proceeding.
- Test the front end, administration area, media, permalinks, and scheduled tasks after completion.
Duplicator also states that Pro 4.5.1 and later include patches for a class of launch issues. Update when practical and compatible with your PHP and WordPress versions, but do not update a production site without a backup and a rollback plan.
Work with your host efficiently
Host support can resolve server-level blocks that you cannot change. Send one concise incident report containing:
- The exact installer URL and destination directory.
- The date, time, and timezone of a failed attempt.
- The HTTP status and whether the body was empty or contained a date and time.
- The PHP and web-server log lines, if you have them.
- The active PHP version, 64-bit status, and whether
mysqliand archive support are enabled. - The requested action: permit PHP execution, identify the ModSecurity rule, correct ownership, or confirm the allowed request method.
Ask for a temporary, narrowly scoped change and a confirmation of how to undo it. A useful reply identifies the rule, path, or extension involved; “the server is fine” without a matching log entry does not explain a reproducible 403 or 500.
Clean up after the migration
- Restore the intended
.htaccessand.user.inicontents, including any correctedauto_prepend_filepath. - Re-enable Wordfence and any other temporarily disabled security controls.
- Remove temporary WAF exceptions and restore normal request filtering.
- Return permissions to least privilege and confirm the correct owner and group.
- Disable
WP_DEBUGand remove temporary debug settings after saving the relevant log entry. - Delete
installer.php, the archive, and any migration reports or extraction directories when your workflow no longer requires them. - Change credentials if an archive or log contained secrets, and verify that no temporary file is publicly downloadable.
A practical decision path
- Date and time only: test Wordfence, then inspect
auto_prepend_filein parent and destination configuration files. - 403 or AJAX 403: inspect access rules, ModSecurity/WAF events, ownership, and permissions; request a targeted host exception.
- 404: verify the file’s exact location, document root, URL, and rewrite rules.
- 405: ask the host to confirm that the installer request method is allowed for the directory.
- 500 or a totally empty page: read the PHP and web-server logs, then check runtime compatibility, database errors, and fatal code paths.
- PHP blocked only in the import directory: test the WordPress-root Classic/Overwrite fallback after confirming root-level PHP execution.
- Any symptom with unsupported runtime: move to PHP 7.4 or newer, WordPress 5.3 or newer, 64-bit PHP,
mysqli, and a supported archive engine before repeating the migration.
The shortest reliable fix is the one that matches the symptom and changes the smallest possible security or configuration surface. Preserve the evidence, make one controlled change, retest, and restore every temporary exception when the installer succeeds.
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